• Historiated initial 'P'(ost) of an enthroned king, perhaps Richard II, at the beginning of the text., Polychronicon

Historiated initial 'P'(ost) of an enthroned king, perhaps Richard II, at the beginning of the text. Ranulph Higden (b. c. 1299, d. 1364), was a monk of the Benedictine abbey of St. Werburg, Chester. His 'Polychronicon' is a universal

• Historiated initial 'E(t si) with the head of a man (?Cicero), besants and acanthus leaves extending into the margins at the beginning of the text., Rhetorica ad Herennium (index De ratione dicendi ad Herennium)

Historiated initial 'E(t si) with the head of a man (?Cicero), besants and acanthus leaves extending into the margins at the beginning of the text. ff. 1* and 53 have been washed and reused as flyleaves for the present

• Decorated initials: 'I'(tem), 'D'(ialectica), 'G'(ustus), 'I'(tem), 'I'(tem), and 'O'(lfactus)., Tracts on various subjects, including rhetoric and mathematics, and Alan of Lille's De planctu naturae (ff. 17-32v)

1-17).Robert Talbot (b. c. 1505, d. 1558), antiquary and scholar of Winchester college, fellow of New College, Oxford, friend of John Leland, prebendary and canon of Norwich from 1547 to 1558: his ownership inscription (f. 1).Edward Stillingfleet (b. 1635, d.

• White vine initial 'T'(erentii), Vita Terentii (ff. 1-3v); Comoediae (index Comedies) (ff. 3v-169)

White vine initial 'T'(erentii) 7 white vine initials in colours and gold (ff. 1, 5, 32v, 61v, 89, 116v, 141). Alternating red or blue initials. Rubrics and abbreviations of protagonists' names in red. Vita Terentii (ff. 1-3v); Comoediae (index

• Decorated initials'H'(eredes), 'M'(ulier), and 'C'(irca)., Tractatus de legibus et consuetudinibus Regni Angliae

Plain initials in red or blue. Rubrics and paraphs in red, now faded. Tractatus de legibus et consuetudinibus Regni Angliae John Anstis the elder (b. 1669, d. 1744), herald and antiquary, gift to Robert Harley (prior to 1724) together with

• Puzzle initial 'H'(enricus)., Various statutes from the reign of king Henry III to the reign of king Edward I, with a table of contents (ff. 1-4v) (index Statuta Antiqua)

Puzzle initial 'H'(enricus). For a detailed list of the contents, see the Harley Catalogue.A parchment fragment inscribed in English is pasted onto f. [iv]. Marginal drawings in brown ink of animals (ff. 148v, 152v). Drawings in brown ink and

• Illuminated initial 'S'(eynt poul)., An exposition on the Apocalypse and two Lollard tracts on verses in the Gospel of Matthew

nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Illuminated initial John Wycliffe (attributed to) England

• Diagram representing the genealogy of Jupiter., Genealogy of the gods (ff. 1-4), Names of rivers (f. 4v), Commentary on Aeneis (f. 5), Aeneis (index Aeneid) with marginal gloss (ff. 5v-168v)

Diagram representing the genealogy of Jupiter. Watermark in the shape of a flower.ff. 5-7v are blank.Leaf signatures. Catchwords written horizontally. 14 large puzzle initials in red and blue (ff. 5v (x2), 6 (x2), 31v, 43, 83v, 84, 97, 109,

• White vine initial 'P'(re multis) with a butterfly at the beginning of Demosthenes' Orationes., Various works including Demosthenes' Orationes (index Orations), Aeschines' Orationes, Oratio pro Ctesiphonte, and other orations

White vine initial 'P'(re multis) with a butterfly at the beginning of Demosthenes' Orationes. Catchwords written horizontally.Includes formulae addressing various persons beginning with Pope Martin V (dedication) and ending with the nobles and aldermen of London (ff. 177-184). 9

• Decorated initial 'F'(yve) at the beginning of the general prologue to the Old Testament., General prologue to the Old Testament

to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library. Decorated initial John Purvey England

• Coloured initial 'A'(nd)., Miscellany of religious texts, beginning with the Lord's Prayer, the Ave Maria, the Apostle's Creed, and the Ten Commandments (both of the latter with exposition), followed by treatises

Coloured initial 'A'(nd). For a detailed description of the contents, see the Harley Catalogue.ff. 1*, 2* are parchment flyleaves. Initials in red, some large, some small. Paraphs in red. Miscellany of religious texts, beginning with the Lord's Prayer, the

• Historiated initial 'U'(t) with the author Petrus Isolellae in profile and acanthus leaves extending into the margins to form a full border; female figure in the lower margin and kneeling man in the outer margin., Summa grammaticae (index De arte grammatica)

Historiated initial 'U'(t) with the author Petrus Isolellae in profile and acanthus leaves extending into the margins to form a full border; female figure in the lower margin and kneeling man in the outer margin. Catchwords written horizontally. Large

• Decorated initial 'E'(xquirenti) with foliate extensions., De casibus virorum illustrium

Decorated initial 'E'(xquirenti) with foliate extensions. 11 large initials in red, pink, green, blue, and yellow, with foliate extensions (ff. 1, 1v, 17v, 32v, 48v, 65v, 80, 96, 109, 124v, 147v). Numerous intials in red with purple pen-flourishing or

• Decorated initial 'O'(mnis) and unidentified arms at the beginning of Sallust's Catalina. Both decorated initial and arms may be later additions., Catilina (imperfect)

Decorated initial 'O'(mnis) and unidentified arms at the beginning of Sallust's Catalina. Both decorated initial and arms may be later additions. Bound with Harley 2543.Spaces seem to have been left blank for initials and these spaces were filled in

• Puzzle initial 'P'(Apa)., 'Poetria nova' (ff. 2-45v), Piccinini's collection of poem dedicated to Antonius Astensis (ff. 46-81)

Puzzle initial 'P'(Apa). The manuscript also includes four letters by Guarino da Verona (index Guarinus Veronensis, Guarino Guarini Veronese) written by two other scribes (ff. 82-119). Puzzle initials, plain initials and rubrics in red. Small initials highlighted in red.

• White vine initial 'O'(mnis) extending into a partial border, with birds; in the lower margin, white vine and wreath enclosing an empty space originally intended for a heraldic motif (?effaced)., Catilina (ff. 1-28); Jugurtha (ff. 28-81v)

originally intended for a heraldic motif (?effaced; f. 1). Spaces for initials left blank. Catilina (ff. 1-28); Jugurtha (ff. 28-81v) John Gibson (fl. 1720-1726), dealer; acquired from him for the Harley collection on 17 June 1721 (see ~Diary~ 1966). The

• Decorated initial 'H'(anc) with foliate decoration (altered later). Capitals marked in yellow., Heroides

Decorated initial 'H'(anc) with foliate decoration (altered later). Capitals marked in yellow. Catchwords written horizontally. Large initial in colours with foliate decoration (altered later)(f. 1). Coloured initials in red. Capitals marked in yellow. Heroides Chioanes Benedicti, 15th century: inscribed

• Initial 'H'(ere) in red with pen-decoration at the beginning of the Dietary for Henry V., Miscellany of verse and prose treatises relating to hunting, manners, medicine and veterinary, including a translation of Gaston Phebus's 'Livre de Chasse', in the Middle English translation by Edward of Norwich entitled 'Master of the Game' (ff. 3-85v), a dietary for King Henry V (ff. 91-98v) and a treatise on equine medicine (ff. 99-128v)

dietary for King Henry V (ff. 91-98v) and a treatise on equine medicine (ff. 99-128v) William Coke and his son John, 15th century: inscribed with their names (f. 129v)Edward Kenington, 16th century: inscribed with his name (f. 129).Peter Otteley, 16th

• PUzzle initial 'C'(um) in red with blue pen-flourishing., Various texts including In M. Tullium Ciceronem invectiva (ff. 1-6v), Disputationes tusculanae (ff. 7-83v), Bernard's De XII gradibus humilitatis (ff. 154v-171)

PUzzle initial 'C'(um) in red with blue pen-flourishing. A composite manuscript: the first text (ff. 1-6v) is entirely written on parchment. Another part is written on paper and parchment (the outer and inner bifolios in each quire are made

• Three-sided foliate border with a large decorated initial 'F'(ratres scientes quia hora est)., Psalter and Breviary, with a calendar, use of Rome

Initials and paraphs in green; some text in green (ff. 535-540). Psalter and Breviary, with a calendar, use of Rome John Gibson (fl. 1720-1726), dealer; sold to Edward Harley on 28 August 1724 (see ~Diary~ 1966; Wright 1972).Edward Harley (b.